Container for cell chip

ABSTRACT

There is provided a container for a cell chip including: a lower body including an installation space allowing a cell chip to be installed therein and one or more holes connected to the installation space; and an upper body coupled to the lower body.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0113817 filed on Oct. 12, 2012, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a container for a cell chip and, more particularly, to a container for a cell chip capable of easily separating a cell chip accommodated therein.

2. Description of the Related Art

As research into genetic engineering has been actively conducted, experiments determining properties of bio-materials have increased. In determining properties of bio-materials, bio-materials are cultivated in cell chips and the properties thereof are subsequently measured by a measurement device such as a scanner.

Experiments using cell chips have been iteratively conducted. Thus, a cell chip used in a certain experiment may be kept in a container and later re-used. However, in general, cell chips are thin and small, and it is not easy to insert the cell chip into the container and remove it therefrom. Thus, a cell chip may be dropped while being removed from the container or a bio-material of the cell chip may be damaged. Thus, the development of a technique for easily separating a small cell chip from a container is urgently required.

Meanwhile, the related art document includes Patent Documents 1 and 2. However, these patent documents only describe a configuration of accommodating a cell chip, without disclosing a configuration for easily separating an accommodated cell chip from a container.

Related Art Document

-   (Patent Document 1) JP2006-181567 A -   (Patent Document 2) U.S. Pat. No. 7,156,996 B2

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An aspect of the present invention provides a container for a cell chip allowing a cell chip to be easily separated therefrom.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for a cell chip, including: a lower body including an installation space allowing a cell chip to be installed therein and one or more holes connected to the installation space; and an upper body coupled to the lower body.

The installation space may include a plurality of support members supporting an installation position of the cell chip.

The upper body may include a plurality of protrusions.

The protrusions may be elongated toward the installation space to press the cell chip in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.

The protrusions may extend upwardly in order to be used as handles for separating the upper body in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.

The protrusions may have a size sufficient to be inserted into the holes.

The upper body may have a size sufficient to accommodate a portion of the lower body therein.

The lower body or the upper body may have a ventilation hole allowing external air to be introduced therein.

The lower body may include a water storage space storing water for maintaining humidity.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a container for a cell chip, including: a lower body including an installation space for a cell chip and one or more first holes connected to the installation space; an upper body coupled to the lower body; and a cell chip installed in the installation space and having second holes connected to the first holes, wherein the second holes have a size smaller than that of the first holes.

The installation space may include a plurality of support members supporting an installation position of the cell chip.

The upper body may include a plurality of protrusions.

The protrusions may be elongated toward the installation space to press the cell chip in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.

The protrusions may extend upwardly in order to be used as handles for separating the upper body in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.

The protrusions may include first extending portions inserted into the first holes and second extending portions inserted into the second holes.

The upper body may have a size sufficient to accommodate a portion of the lower body therein.

The lower body or the upper body may have a ventilation hole allowing external air to be introduced therein.

The lower body may include a water storage space storing water for maintaining humidity.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a disassembled perspective view of a container for a cell chip according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a coupled state of the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along line A-A;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 10 and 11 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 13; and

FIGS. 15 and 16 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the shapes and dimensions of elements maybe exaggerated for clarity, and the same reference numerals will be used throughout to designate the same or like elements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a disassembled perspective view of a container for a cell chip according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a coupled state of the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 2, taken along line A-A. FIGS. 4 and 5 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 7 and 8 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 10 and 11 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 9. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 13. FIGS. 15 and 16 are views illustrating a process of separating a cell chip from the container for a cell chip illustrated in FIG. 14.

A container for a cell chip according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 5.

A container 1000 for a cell chip according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a lower body 100 and an upper body 200. Here, the lower body 100 and the upper body 200 may be coupled to each other and separated from each other as necessary. In addition, the lower body 100 and the upper body 200 may include a coupling unit (e.g., a clip, or the like) for firmly coupling the lower body 100 and the upper body 200.

The lower body 100 may accommodate a cell chip 302. To this end, the lower body 100 may include an installation space 110. In addition, the lower body 100 may further include support members 120 surrounding the installation space 110 to allow the cell chip 302 to be stably maintained in the installation space 110.

The installation space 110 may have a size such that the cell chip 302 is fitted therein. For example, the installation space 110 may be formed by a plurality of the support members 120 dividing a bottom surface of the lower body 100 into sections having a predetermined size.

The support members 120 may be formed to entirely surround the installation space 110 or may be formed to partially surround the installation space 110. The support members 120 thusly formed may restrain the cell chip 302 accommodated in the installation space 110 from being detached from the installation space 110 due to an external impact.

The lower body 100 may include first holes 130. In detail, the first holes 130 may be formed in the installation space 110 in which the cell chip 302 is placed. In addition, the first holes 130 may penetrate the bottom of the lower body 100 in a vertical direction. Thus, the cell chip 302 may be in contact with the bottom of the lower body 100 through the first holes 130.

The first holes 130 may be formed in edge portions of the installation space 110. In detail, the first holes 130 may be formed in positions corresponding to edge portions of the cell chip 302 in a state in which the cell chip 302 is placed in the installation space 110. However, the formation position of the first holes 130 is not limited thereto and may be changed as necessary. In addition, it is illustrated that four first holes 130 are formed in each installation space 110 of the lower body 100, but the number of the first holes 130 may be varied according to a size and type of the cell chip 302.

The upper body 200 may be coupled to the lower body 100. In detail, the upper body 200 may be coupled to the lower body 100 to form an airtight space for accommodating one or more cell chips 302 therein.

The upper body 200 may include ventilation holes 400. The ventilation holes 400 may be used as a passage allowing air to move to the interior or exterior of the container 1000 for a cell chip. Meanwhile, it is illustrated that two ventilation holes 400 are formed in the upper body 200, but the number of the ventilation holes 400 may be increased or decreased as necessary. In addition, in the present embodiment, the ventilation holes 400 are described and illustrated as being formed in the upper body 200, but they may be formed in the lower body 100 or in both of the lower body 100 and the upper body 200 as necessary.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the container 1000 for a cell chip configured as described above may have an airtight space formed by coupling the lower body 100 and the upper body 200 to accommodate one or more cell chips 302 therein. In particular, the cell chip 302 (Please see FIG. 4) may be stably maintained by the support members 120 formed on the edge portion of the installation space 100.

In addition, the lower body 100 of the container 1000 for a cell chip includes the plurality of first holes 130, but since the first holes 130 may be enclosed by the cell chip 302 mounted in the installation space 100, they do not significantly affect an experiment using the cell chip 302.

Meanwhile, as described above in the related art, the cell chip 302 has a thin plate shape, so it may be difficult to separate the cell chip 302 from the container 1000 for a cell chip. However, in the present embodiment, the cell chip 302 may be easily separated from the container 1000 for a cell chip in the following manner. The cell chip 302 will be separated in the order described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The separation of the cell chip 302 from the container 1000 for a cell chip may include separating the upper body 200, coupling the lower body 100 and a separation tool 600, and selecting the cell chip 302.

1) Separating the Upper Body 200

In the separating of the upper body 200, the upper body 200 may be separated from the lower body 100. Here, the upper body 200 is relatively large as compared to the cell chip 302 and may be easily grasped and accordingly, may be easily separated from the lower body 100.

2) Coupling the Lower Body 100 and the Separation Tool 600

In the coupling of the lower body 100 and the separation tool 600, the lower body 100 and the separation tool 600 may be coupled to each other. Here, the separation tool 600 may include protrusions 610 extending upwardly. In addition, the protrusions 610 of the separation tool 600 may have a size sufficient to be inserted into the first holes 130 of the lower body 100.

The lower body 100 may be coupled to the separation tool 600 by inserting the first holes 130 of the lower body 100 into the protrusions 610 of the separation tool 600. In this manner, when the lower body 100 is slowly coupled to the separation tool 600, one or more cell chips 302 may be pushed up by the protrusions 610. Accordingly, the cell chips 302 may be moved out of the installation space 110 surrounded by the support members 120 (Please see FIGS. 4 and 5). For reference, a height h2 of the protrusions 610 may be greater than a height h1 from the bottom of the lower body 100 to an upper surface of the support members 120.

3) Selecting the Cell Chip 302

In the selecting of the cell chip 302, one cell chip among the one or more cell chips 302 moved upwardly by the protrusions 610 may be selected.

As described above, when the lower body 100 and the separation tool 600 are coupled, all the cell chips 302 installed in the lower body 100 may be separated from the installation space 110 by the protrusions 610 of the separation tool 600. Thus, a user may select only a required cell chip 302 among the one or more cell chips 302 moved upwardly by the protrusions 610.

For reference, the cell chip 302 selected by the user may be subjected to a separate experiment and may be re-accommodated in the container 1000 for a cell chip. In addition, the re-accommodated cell chip 302 maybe re-separated from the container 1000 for a cell chip through the foregoing process.

Hereinafter, containers for a cell chip according to other embodiments of the present invention will be described. For reference, the same elements of an embodiment as those of the former embodiment will be described by using the same reference numerals as those of the former embodiment and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 through 8.

The container 1000 for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention may be differentiated from that of the former embodiment, in terms of a shape of the upper body 200. In detail, in the present embodiment, the upper body 200 may include protrusions 210. Hereinafter, the container 1000 for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the configuration of the upper body 200.

The upper body 200 may include one or more protrusions 210. In detail, one or more protrusions 210 extending downwardly may be formed on the upper body 200. The protrusions 210 may be in contact with an upper surface of the cell chip 302 in a state in which the lower body 100 and the upper body 200 are coupled to each other, whereby the cell chip 302 is prevented from being released from the installation space 110.

Meanwhile, the protrusions 210 may be inserted into the first holes 130. For example, in a state in which the reversed upper body 200 and the lower body 100 are coupled, the protrusions 210 may be inserted into the first holes 130 of the lower body 100. To this end, the protrusions 210 may be formed in positions of the upper body 200 corresponding to the first holes 130 of the lower body 100. For reference, a height h3 of the protrusions 210 may be greater than the height h1 from the bottom of the lower body 100 to the upper surface of the support members 120.

Thus, in the case of the container 1000 for a cell chip configured as described above, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cell chip 302 may be separated from the installation space 110 by using the upper body 200 without using a separation tool.

A container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 through 11.

The container 1000 for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention may be differentiated from that of the former embodiment, in terms of a formation position of the protrusions 210. In detail, in the present embodiment, the protrusions 210 may be formed on an upper surface of the upper body 200.

The protrusions 210 may be elongated upwardly from the upper surface of the upper body 200. The protrusions 210 may be used as handles for grasping the upper body 200 in a state of being coupled to the lower body 100.

In addition, as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the protrusions 210 may be inserted into the first holes 130 of the lower body 100. Namely, in a state in which the lower body 100 is coupled to the upper body 200, the protrusions 210 may be inserted into the first holes 130 of the lower body 100.

The container 1000 for a cell chip configured as described above is advantageous in that the protrusions 210 of the upper body 200 may be variously utilized both as handles of the upper body and as a protrusions for separating a cell chip.

A container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 12.

The container 1000 for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention may be differentiated from that of the former embodiment, in that it includes a water storage space 500.

In general, a bio-material of the cell chip 302 is required to be kept in storage in a predetermined humidity environment. In order to take this into consideration, in the present embodiment, the water storage space 500 is formed in the container 1000 for a cell chip to uniformly maintain internal humidity.

The water storage space 500 may be a portion of the space formed by the support members 120 of the lower body 100. For example, the lower body 100 may be divided into the installation space 110 and the water storage space 500 by the support members 120. Alternatively, the water storage space 500 may be formed by a receiving container installed in the lower body 100.

A container for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 through 16.

The container 1000 for a cell chip according to another embodiment of the present invention maybe differentiated from that of the former embodiment, in that it includes a dedicated cell chip 300. In detail, the container 1000 for a cell chip according to the present embodiment may include the lower body 100, the upper body 200, and the cell chip 300. For reference, a configuration of the lower body 100 is the same as that of the lower body of the former embodiment as described above, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The upper body 200 may include the protrusions 210. The protrusions 210 maybe elongated downwardly, and in a state in which the lower body 100 and the upper body 200 are installed, the protrusions 210 may press the cell chip 300.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the protrusions 210 may include first extending portions 212 and second extending portions 214. The first extending portions 212 may extend downwardly from a lower surface of the upper body 100 and may be inserted into the first holes 130 of the lower body 100. The second extending portions 214 may extend downwardly from the first extending portions 212 and may be inserted into second holes 310 of the cell chip 300. Here, a length h5 of the second extending portions 214 maybe equal to or different from a depth h4 of the second holes 310 of the cell chip 300. Meanwhile, a size of the cross section of the second extending portion 214 may be smaller than that of the cross section of the first extending portion 212.

The cell chip 300 may include a plurality of the second holes 310. The second holes 310 may be formed in positions corresponding to the first holes 130 of the lower body 100. In detail, the second holes 310 may be connected to the first holes 130 of the lower body 100 in a state in which the cell chip 310 is installed in the installation space 110. Thus, the protrusion 210 inserted through the first hole 130 may be inserted into the second hole 310. Meanwhile, the second hole 310 may be smaller than the first hole 130.

The container 1000 for a cell chip configured as described above may stably maintain and support the cell chip 300. In detail, in a state in which the upper body 200 is coupled to an upper portion of the lower body 100 to keep the cell chip 300 in storage, the cell chip 300 in the installation space 110 is fixed by the support members 120 and the protrusions 210, and thus, the cell chip 300 may be stably maintained in storage, rather than being shaken by an external impact. Similarly, in a state in which the lower body 100 is coupled to the upper portion of the upper body 200 in order to separate the cell chip 300, since the cell chip 300 is supported by the second extending portions 214 inserted into the second holes 310, the cell chip 300 may not be easily separated by an external impact.

As set forth above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, a cell chip accommodated in a container for a cell chip can be easily separated.

Thus, according to the embodiments of the present invention, a repetitive experiment using a cell chip can be stably conducted.

While the present invention has been shown and described in connection with the embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A container for a cell chip, the container comprising: a lower body including an installation space allowing a cell chip to be installed therein and one or more holes connected to the installation space; and an upper body coupled to the lower body.
 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the installation space includes a plurality of support members supporting an installation position of the cell chip.
 3. The container of claim 1, wherein the upper body includes a plurality of protrusions.
 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the protrusions are elongated toward the installation space to press the cell chip in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.
 5. The container of claim 3, wherein the protrusions extends upwardly in order to be used as handles for separating the upper body in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.
 6. The container of claim 3, wherein the protrusions has a size sufficient to be inserted into the holes.
 7. The container of claim 3, wherein the upper body has a size sufficient to accommodate a portion of the lower body therein.
 8. The container of claim 1, wherein the lower body or the upper body has a ventilation hole allowing external air to be introduced therein.
 9. The container of claim 1, wherein the lower body includes a water storage space storing water for maintaining humidity.
 10. A container for a cell chip, the container comprising: a lower body including an installation space for a cell chip and one or more first holes connected to the installation space; an upper body coupled to the lower body; and a cell chip installed in the installation space and having second holes connected to the first holes, wherein the second holes have a size smaller than that of the first holes.
 11. The container of claim 10, wherein the installation space includes a plurality of support members supporting an installation position of the cell chip.
 12. The container of claim 10, wherein the upper body includes a plurality of protrusions.
 13. The container of claim 12, wherein the protrusions are elongated toward the installation space to press the cell chip in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.
 14. The container of claim 12, wherein the protrusions extends upwardly in order to be used as handles for separating the upper body in a state in which the lower body and the upper body are coupled to each other.
 15. The container of claim 12, wherein the protrusions include first extending portions inserted into the first holes and second extending portions inserted into the second holes.
 16. The container of claim 12, wherein the upper body has a size sufficient to accommodate a portion of the lower body therein.
 17. The container of claim 10, wherein the lower body or the upper body has a ventilation hole allowing external air to be introduced therein.
 18. The container of claim 10, wherein the lower body includes a water storage space storing water for maintaining humidity. 